1276 
THE: RURAL NEW-YORKER 
MINEP’JL ROD FOR BURIED TREASURE 
Will a mineral rod locate metal sev¬ 
eral feet under ground, or under loose 
stone? I am endeavoring to locate a 
buried treasure, and would like to know 
whether a mineral rod would be of any 
assistance. If, in your opinion, they are 
valuable, will you advise me where one 
could be obtained? E. a. a. 
Vermont. 
I had the opportunity a few years ago 
to test out for the U. S. Government, 
some of the so-called mineral detectors. 
In connection with that work I made a 
considerable study of many types, and 
believe that none of them which base 
their action on any attraction the metals, 
other than iron, have for them is of 
value. Iron or steel, if in the metallic 
second rod in from the circle a couple of 
feet and try again. The readings should 
get larger as the two rods approach each 
other. If they got larger and then small¬ 
er, it means that the second rod has 
passed over the metal. Such a galvano¬ 
meter would cost $25. The batteries 
would cost at least 25 cents apiece, while 
the wire and switch would cost a dollar 
or so. 
I am frank to say that I do not think 
this will be very satisfactory in the case 
of a small chest of metal. If the metal 
is near the surface, a modification might 
be less work than digging fruitlessly 
everywhere. I would suggest that you 
get a good strong rod made, which you 
feel certain can be driven through the 
chest or container which has the treas¬ 
ure in it. The rod must be of wood. 
The tip can be made of two pieces of 
state as. for instance, pipes underground, 
may be detected by any compass needle, 
if careful observations are made. Possi¬ 
bly copper and bismuth may also affect a 
magnetic needle slightly. Gold, silver, 
platinum and other precious metals will 
have no effect whatever. The U. S. pos¬ 
tal inspectors have been very busy for 
some years rounding up sellers of the 
“mineral rods,” etc., and have succeeded 
in putting quite a number behind the 
prison bars. 
There is a method for detecting any 
considerable amount of metal by means 
of its electrical conductivity. I doubt its 
value in finding chests of treasure, but it 
is sometimes used in finding ore veins 
or water streams. The following is a 
brief explanation of the procedure: 
The earth is a poor conductor of elec¬ 
tricity, but metals are good conductors. 
metal separated by a piece of hard rub¬ 
ber. Each piece of the tip is connected 
to a wire, and the two wires are con¬ 
nected through two dry batteries to a 
common electric bell. Ordinarily the 
bell will not ring because of the piece of 
hard rubber between the metal tips. If 
the rod is plunged into a chest of metal 
or, in any way the tips are connected by 
metal, the bell will ring. This pole can 
be driven down in loose rocks, earth, 
etc., and will tell in a short time if there 
is any treasure. The entire cost will not 
be more than a dollar of two. 
R. P. C. 
Handling Dynamite. 
You can tell II. TV. G., page 1176, that 
if he will use cotton gloves when he 
handles dynamite, and never touch the 
If, therefore, you prepare a path for 
electricity through metal more current 
will flow than if the path was through 
dirt. Then if you drive two metal rods 
into the ground and connect them by 
means of wire to a battery, and through an 
electric current measuring device, the lat¬ 
ter will ordinarily give only a slight read¬ 
ing when the current simply flows through 
the ground. If. however, there is metal 
in the ground between the stakes, or if 
there is water between the stakes, the 
current indicator will show more current 
flowing, and by bringing the stakes nearer 
and nearer to each other you can locate 
the good conducting substance fairly well. 
For this you need 25 good batteries con¬ 
nected in series (carbon of one to zinc 
of the next and so on), a sensitive gal¬ 
vanometer (the name of the particular 
kind of current measuring instrument 
which is best), some wire and a knife 
dynamite with his bare hands he will 
have no headache when he blasts, as the 
headache is not caused by the dynamite 
fumes, but by the nitro-glycerine pene¬ 
trating the hands, thereby increasing the 
heart action. w. H. 
Fairfield, Conn. 
s 
Handling Dynamite. — I noticed in 
your paper recently, a communication 
from one of your readers, complaining 
about the fumes of dynamite making him 
sick. Years ago, I used considerable 
dynamite, and each time 1 used it I was 
troubled the same as your correspondent, 
and concluded it .was the fumes or the 
concussion. But it proved to be the fact 
that I handled the dynamite and then 
got my fingers in ray mouth, thereby get¬ 
ting some of the dynamite in ray system. 
If your correspondent will use gloves and 
be very particular to keep his hands 
Metal 
SINGLE KOI) DEVICE. 
• 
switch (single blade), besides the two 
metal rods or two wooden rods which 
have metal points to which the wire 
can be welded oi soldered. Connect them 
as shown in first cut: 
Drive one rod into-the earth and mark 
a circle around it about fifteen or twenty 
feet away. Drive the second rod into 
the ground at various points along this 
circle and mark down the reading of the 
galvanometer when you close the switch 
after each driving. The map of the 
ground and your readings will look like 
second cut. 
If at any place you get a large read¬ 
ing that will show the presence of some 
conducting substance, then bring the 
away from his face, I believe he will 
have no more trouble, geo. e. pierce. 
Pennsylvania. 
FARM ARITHMETIC. — By Burk¬ 
ett and Swartzel; 2S0 pages; 120 illus¬ 
trations; published by Orange Judd Co., 
New York. This is intended as a school 
text book, but is valuable as a farm 
reference book because of the large 
amount of information contained in con¬ 
densed form. Some of the subjects dis¬ 
cussed are the mathematics of plant and 
animal feeding, the dairy, soils, drain¬ 
age, farm mechanics, architecture, roads, 
forestry, and farm accounts. For sale 
by the Rural New Yorker, price $1. 
DON’T 
OVER-ESTIMATE 
YOUR STRENGTH 
Very cold air obstructs per¬ 
spiration and occasions colds, 
coughs, catarrh, and rheuma¬ 
tism as well as throat and 
chest troubles. 
To avert this condition, nourish 
your body with the known and 
proven winter food-medicine, 
Scott’s Emulsion , which makes 
rich blood to warm the body; cre¬ 
ates energy and vitality to endure 
the climatic changes of winter. 
No alcohol or opiate in SCOTT’S 
—just predigested nourishment of 
superior medicinal value. 
Scott & Bowne. Bloomfield, N. J. 12-125 
■ — ■ — ■' * 
i Don't Stop"i 
to make fast the rope. Use the Burr Self-locking 
Tackle Block for all kinds of lifting. Booklet FREE 
postpaid. Ask your dealer or write us. 
THE BURR MFG. CO. 
2105 Superior Ave., N. W. Cleveland, O. 
HUNTERS--TRAPPERS 
If you want an ideal lamp for night fishing, trap¬ 
ping, hunting or lor work about farm or machin¬ 
ery, send to-day for a 
Baldwin Lamp 
Proiectsa 11 candle poner light 160feet. 
Burns Acetylene Gus. Weight 6 oz. 
Height-3*^ iu. Can be carrivJ in hand 
or worn on cap or belt, leaving: boiti 
handsfree. No oil, soot or glass. Ab¬ 
solutely safe and simple. Kitty hours 
bright light costs V5c. Useful as well 
during Automobile repairing. Catalogue 
free and instructive booklet, ’‘Knotsand 
Jlow to Tie Them 0 mailed on request. 
At all dealers or by JOHN SIMMONS CO. 
mail prepaid-$1.00 m Leonard St. New York City 
SKUNK 
WE PAY TOP PRICES FOlt SKUNK. 
MINK, MUSKRAT, AND ALL RAW FURS, 
Price list free. M. J. .Jewett & 
Sons, Redwood, N.Y. Dept 29. 
^ Sf/fT M § Ml — Skunk, Mink, Oppossum 
HjjJArtQ Rj/raHa and all other kinds of raw 
furs wanted. I am pre¬ 
pared to pay extreme prices. Send a postal for my 
price list No fake quotations; I always pay what L 
quote. Thirty-one years in the business. Personal 
grading. LEMUEL BLACK, Lock Box 338, Hightstown, N. J. 
Highest Cash Prices for Cow and Horse Hides 
and fancy prices for Calf Skins. Address 
ROGERS TANNERY, - Farmingdale, N. J. 
Cash for 
Raw Furs 
Why sell your skins at 
homo when you can 
send thorn to us and 
save all middlemen’s 
profits? New York is 
tho best market in 
America. We pay cash 
for hides of Skunks, 
Minks, Coons, Opossums, Poxes, etc. Thirty years in 
the business. No commission charged. Wo stand express 
nri T DMT! CD Pfl charges. Write for price list. 
OlLI, DUILlK LU., Exporters, ” East 1 2th St., New York 
LET US TAN 
YOUR HIDE. 
Cattle or Horse hide. Calf, Dog, Deer 
or auy kind of skin with hail- or fur on. 
Wo tan and finish them right; make 
them into coals (for men and women), 
robes, rugs or gloves when ordered. 
Your fur goods will cost you less than 
to buy them, and be worth more. Our 
Illustrated catalog gives a lot of i n 
formation which every stork raiser 
should have, hut we never send out this 
valuable book except upon request. 
Ittells how to take oil and care for 
hides; how and when wo pay tho Iroight 
both ways ; about our safe dyeing pro¬ 
cess whii-h is a tremendous advantage 
to the customer, especially on horso 
hides and call skins ; about tile fur 
goods and game trophies we sell, taxi¬ 
dermy, etc. if you want a copy send us 
your correct address. 
The Crosby Frisian Fur Company, - 
571 Lyell Ave.. Rochester. N. Y, 
November 29, 
THE NEW HANDY FARMER’S 
KNIFE AND TOOL KIT 
It Carries Four Distinct Blades; 
A large regular cutting blade; a Lock- 
Screw-driver Blade; a Belt Punch Blade 
that can bo used for boring holes in leath¬ 
er, any size to oue-half inch in diameter; 
the Ilook Blade for cleaning horses' 
hoofs, and to clean out borers from fruit 
trees or removing Cotter ]>ins from auto¬ 
mobiles and other machinery. The little 
wrench fits the nut on a Prest-o-Lite auto¬ 
mobile light or any small nut. 
In fact this handy article can be used 
for hundreds of purposes. The blades are 
of S. & G. Wardlow’s highest grade bar 
steel, hand forged and baud ground; 
tempered by an expert process. Every 
blade is thoroughly tested. The lining is 
of brass and bolsters of highly polished 
steel. The handle is neat and attractive. 
The whole is just the size of a good jack¬ 
knife (exact size of picture), and so con¬ 
structed that when the blades are closed 
the knife will not catch and tear the 
pocket. 
One of Our Friends Writes: 
“This is a great farm knife. We have 
carried one for months. Not long ago the 
horse began to limp. We found a small 
stone wedged in against the shoe. No 
pulling or pounding could release it. but 
a quick jerk with the little hook and the 
stone was out. Who has not been caught 
far away from a screw-driver with a 
screw working loose? What do you care 
when right in your pocket you have the 
strong little short blade here shown? We 
will guarantee you have had a strap 
break on the road and had to cut a new 
hole with your knife. The grooved blade 
permits you to make just the bole you 
want without damage to the leather or 
to cold fingers. Then the short strong 
cutting blade will do anything which a 
pocket edge should do. The Roman sol¬ 
diers conquered the world with their short 
swords because these blades brought them 
right up to business. It is just the same 
with this short blade. There is power 
and edge to it. In fact this is a perfect 
workshop good for any farmer.” 
It is a whole Tool Ivit embodied in. 
and taking up, the size of a jackknife. 
Bear in mind that these hladcs are fast¬ 
ened to and are a part of the knife. You 
cannot lose the blades as is the case with 
similar tool kits. 
Would Make a Splendid Present. • 
Given for One New Yearly Sub¬ 
scription at $1.00; or Two Yearly Re¬ 
newals at $1.00 each; or Ten 10-week 
Trial Subscriptions at 10 Cents each. 
These articles are not given with a 
subscription to the R. N.-Y., but are 
given to the agent as a reward, in place 
of cash, for extending the subscription 
list of tlif K. N.-Y. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
333 West 30th Street, New York City. 
RAW FURS 
G. I. FOX. m 
Seventh Ave 
N. Y. A square 
deal, liberal as¬ 
sortment, top 
prices. Write 
for price list. 
FUR 
buyers are expensive. We have none on the road. The 10 
per cent, saved thereby we give to our shippers. Would you 
iike to be one of them? Send for price list and ship to 
M. F. Pfaelzer & Co., 
119 W. 20th St. (Desk 22), 
New York City. 
WE PAY HIGHEST PRICES FOR 
We give liberal assortment and prompt returns. 
WRITE FOR PRICE LIST 
IT IS RICADY 
RAW FURS 
A. SUSKIND & CO.. 159 West 24th St.. New York 
Ship Us Your Raw Furs By Express 
We guarantee to hold all shipments entirely separate, and in case our valua¬ 
tions are not satisfactory we will return your goods at once, and pay all 
express charges both ways. 
H. A. PERKINS & CO. 
. WHITE RIVER JUNCTION. VT. 
References: Dun or Bradstreet Commercial Agencies—Any Bank 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply 
and a “square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
